Rotor for elastic fluid mechanism



8 sheets-sheet 1 R. BIRMANN ROTOR FOR ELASTIG FLUID MECHANISM Original Filed MarchvZS? 1943 Sept. 10, 1946.

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Sept. 10, .11946. R, BIRMNN 2,407,469

ROTOR FOR ELASTIC FLUID MECHANISM 8 sheets-sheet s original Filed March 2, 1945 u rra N575.

i Sept. 10,1946. l R.B|RMANN Orizgnal Filed March 26, 1945 8 Sheets Sheet 4 n a 'frm/2157s Sept# 10, 1945- R.B1RMANN l y 2,407,469

. ROTOR FOR ELASTIC FLUID MEGHANISH original Filed March 2e. V1943 s sheets-sheet 5 Sept. 10, 1946. .Y R. BIRMANN RpToR FOR ELASTIC FLUID MEQHANISM original Filedvuarch 2e, 194s a subis-sheet e n//r/vfsss.-` A y I Rua/o Sept. 10, 1946.

R. BIRMANN KOTOR FOR ELASTIC FLUID MECHANISM y Original Filed March 26, 1943 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 I PatenteclrSept. 10, 1946 UNITED STATES lPATENT orrlce ROTOR FOR ELASTIC FLUID MECIVPIANISM l Rudolph Birmann,

Newtown, Pa., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Federal Reserve Bank of of America Original application Philadelphia, a corporation of the United States YMarch 26, 1943,` Serial No.

480,633. Divided and this application April 8, 1,944, Serial No. 530,188

26 Claims. (Cl. 230-134) elastic fluid mechanisms and particularly to centrifugal impellers and turbine rotors. Specically, the invention relates to the provision ofthe type of rotors for elastic iluid mechanism which 5 rotors of the type indicated. are disclosed in my Patents 1,926,225, dated A further object of the invention is the'pr'ovi- September 12, 1933, 1,959,703, dated May 22, 1934, sion of a centrifugal impeller wherein, without and 2,283,176, dated May 19, 1942. Thepresent violation of other requirements, there is secured' application is in part a continuation of my applia quite large angle about the axis of rotation cation Serial No. 441,686, led May 4, 1942, now between the inlet and the outlet portions of each abandoned, and is a division'of application Serial of its passages.l No. 480,633, filed March 26, 1943. These and other detailed objects of the inven- Inparticular, in my Patent 1,959,703, there is tion willr become apparent from the following' described an improved. type of impeller having description, read in conjunction with the accom-` very marked advantages over those theretofore in Daniing drawings, ill Which? use. As described in said patent, the impeller Figure l is a plan view of one form of machine' blades or vanes may be considered as built up .provided in accordance with the invention for the upon surfaces containing two sets of straight line generation of such rotors; elements contributing to effect substantially Figure 2 is an elevation showin-g certain gear straight line flow of elastic iiuid relative to the change mechanism of the machine, in particuimpeller and great mechanical strength for high lar looking at theight hand end 0f the machine speed operation` due to the fact that one set of asviewedv in Figure 1; said straight. lines is radial.. The blading also has Figure 3 iS an eleVatOn 0f the machine 0f the advantage that inlet angles vary properly Figure 1, partially in section, to illustrate certain with'the lradius so as to'give 'smooth entrance 25 details; y o throughout the vertical height of the leading edge Figure 4. is an elevation of. certain gear change ci each blade. Variousv other advantages result mechanism as viewed looking at the left hand from this construction andare described in said 6nd 0f Figure 3; patent. n Figure 5- is a diagram showing in plan the prin- For Very high speed 0perat0n however, the 30 cipal lenlents Of the machine (if Figure 1 and` blading as disclosed in said patent, while far more serving to make clear the nature of the surfaces eilicient-than4 other types, has limitations in thatv generated thereby; the specic loading of thevanes is too great, or in Figure 6 S 2( Similar diagram of the same other words, various portions of the vane surfaces. matter in elevation; are required to do too much work in accelerating Figure 7 isa diagrammatic elevation indicatthe elastic;v uuid, ing two radial sections through an impeller It is the one object. of the present invention to formed in accordance with. the invention illusadapt the impeller construction of said patent for trating n particular hOW the impellel' passages the provision oi' impellers having very high eiii` are generated and the fashion in which the angle ciency at high speeds of operation; This involves 40 between the inlet and outlet is. increased; lowering the specific loading tosuch extent that Figure 8 is an elevation of the type o-f cutter smooth now takes place without. breaking away used for the generation ofthe passages; of the flow from the passage walls with the pro- Figure 9 is a View, generally similar to Figure 5, duction of burbli'ng, or stalling As a result of but provided in particular to illustrate the fashion thematters of the present invention, impellers ofV Y in which a cutter generates both sides of an very small dimensions and light weight may be impeller passage simultaneously; v constructed to operate at .extremely highzspecic. Figure 10 is a side elevation of an alternative speeds to produce high outputs, specic speed form of machine providedl in accordance with the vbeing equall to Y invention;

. *Wx/ Figure '11 is a plan vView of. the machine of Figure 10' Hg o y Flgure 12 1s a fragmentary elevation of thel wherein Q is the. volume handled inv cubic feet entrance side of` an impellerofthe improved per minute, Il` is the total headA produced by the design; A i r o impeller infect, and n. is revolutions per minute. Figure l'13 isan axial section showing part of A further object of ther present invention is the provision of improved vanes or blades for impellers or turbine rotors by the adoption of a novel method for thegeneration of elastic fluid 3 an impeller of the improved type together with a portion of its associated housing;

Figure le is a diagram showing in front elevation a pair of vane surfaces, together with certain allied matters indicating the fashion in which such vanes are laid out;

Figure l5 is a plan view of part of the matter of Figure 14 looking radially inwardly along the leading edge of a vane; V

Figure i6 is a diagrammatic sectional view showing the vane and certain elements thereof and associated matters in the form of a circumferential projection about the axis of rotation into the plane of the paper; and

Figure 17 is a graph showing the relationship between angles about the -axis of rotation and axial distances for vanes constructed in accordance with the invention.

The particular vane constructions involved will be best made clear by first considering certain improved machines for generating the vanes.

There will first be described the physical aspects of the machine of Figures 1 to 4, the nature of the operations performed thereby being thereafter described.

The machine of these figures is essentially a milling machine in which both the cutter and the work are movable in predetermined denite relationship to secure the generation of skew surfaces. The machine comprises a bed 2' on which there is mounted a work carrier 4 for rotation about a vertical axis 6, the position of which may, if desired, be made adjustable transversely of the machine. The work carrier fl is provided with an' arm 8 slotted as indicated at lil to provide a trackway for the reception'of a cross-head l2, which is pivoted, as indicated at I4, to a block adjustable along a guideway iii extending radially of an arm I8, which is secured at 2i! to a carriage 22 movable on tracks 23. The pivot IL!- is arranged to be fixed in adjusted position radially of the arm i3, while the arm I8 is adapted to be swung between two positions defined by stop elements 24 and 24 at opposite sides of, and secured to, the carriage 22. The provision for swinging the arm I8 to either of these two positions is merely to make it easily possible to generate right hand and left hand rotors. As will become evident hereafter in discussing the theory of operation, the fact that the arm i8 extends at an acute angle with respect to the axis of the machine is not significant and, in fact, this arrangement is provided solely to make possible certain clearances when the carriage 22 reaches an extreme left hand position. The adjustment of the pin I4 is solely for the purposeV of adjusting it transversely of the longitudinal axis of the machine, this adjustment alone being of interest. v

The carriage 22 is provided with a nut Z' which embraces the carriage-driving screw 28, driven from the mainishaft 3i) of the machine through change speed gearing comprising the end elements 32 and 34 and indicated in Figure 2. The .work support 4 is provided with grooves as indicated at 36, along which there may be adjusted the table 38, which in turn carries tracks 40 so that the work W may be adjusted in the direction of the tracks, i. e., in the direction of the length of the trackway lll; It will be evident from the above that the work may be adjusted bothv in the directionA of the trackway lil and transversely of that direction relative'to 'the vertical axis 6 about which rotation maytake place by reason of the travel of the cross-head I2 along the trackway HJ. In addition, if desired, the vertical axis 6 may be adjusted transversely of the direction of the screw 28.

A carriage 42 supports the cutter and is arranged to slide in the direction of the axis of the screw 23 along the tracks 4I lprovided on the machine bed. A nut 44 carried by the carriage 42 embraces a screw 46, connected to a gear 43 (Figure 4) driven through change speed gearing from the main shaft 3D. A shaft 5B, whose gear 48 is driven through change speed gearing from the mainshaft 30, as indicated in Figure 4, has

' splinedV theretoy a bevel pinion 52 meshing with tracks El I.

a second bevel pinion 54 carried by a vertical screw 56 mounted in the carriage, the bevel pinion 52 being so mounted as to move with the carriage lengthwise of the shaft 5B. The vertical screw- 56 is embraced by a nut 58 carried by the support 60 movable vertically relative to the carriage 42 along the traokways 6l of the latter. The support 66 has mounted in bearings therein the spindle if'in which may be fitted the various milling cutters 64, the support also carrying the driving motor 63 for this spindle.

As a result of the construction indicated, it will be evident that the cutter is movable both in the direction of its axis of rotation, which is parallel to the tracks 4I, and also vertically by reason of the mounting of its support on the In Figures 5 and 6 there are illustrated diagrammaticaly the fundamental elements of the machine of Figures l to V4; In these Figures 5 and 6, the axis of rotation of the work is indicated at OT through which there extends the horizontal line AOA parallel to the axis of the screw 28 and to the tracks 23. Along this line AOA there moves the foot M of a horizontal perpendicular MIN, the length of which, though subject to adjustment, is fixed during any particular operation of the machine, the point N corresponding to the pivot of the crosshead l2 arranged to slide along the line ON which may be considered xed to the work support pivoted about OT. For the purpose of greater generality of analysis, there are involved in Figures 5 and 6 adjustments in addition to those described in connection with the physical machine. For example, DE represents the axis (horizontal) of the blank being cut which axis, however, is not perpendicular to ON but to a line ON making with ON the angle qs. BC is perpendicular to ON and parallel vto DE at a distance n representing the displacement of Vthe axis of the work from the axis OT of rotation.

FQ is the axis of the cutter, extending horizontally at a distance e from the common horizontal plane of AA', ON, DE, and BC, and for generality assumed making van angle 0 with the direction AA and displaced horizontally by a distance p from the axis OT.

It will be evident that Figures 5 and 6 represent the essentials yof the machineV with some further generality introduced by the angles 0 and p and the displacement p. While the physical form of the machine involves some vertical and horizontal displacements of the physical equivalents of the diagrammed lines it will be evident that what is accomplished by the machine is identically what would be accomplished by the diagrammed mechanism.'r

First there will be considered the theoretical surface which would be` generated by a cutter of zero diameter, i. e.'by the cutter axis FQ. This involves seeking an equation for an arbitrary point P :on FQ in terms of 'coordinates tied to the work. Let PR be the perpendicular from the arbitrary point P to the plane AON, and RS the perpendicular to line DE from R. As origin consider point the foot ofthe perpendicular from O to DE, the rotor axis, and let a: be measured along the axis DE in the direction 'OS, y per pendicularto DE in a horizontal plane in the direction SR, and e vertically in the direction RP. For the purpose of the present analysis, these rectangular coordinates will be most convenient. 'For comparison with the aforementioned patents, related cylindrical coordinates cc, b, and r `may be noted, related to x, "J, and e as follows:

which relationships transformation from one the other rmay be readily by set 4of coordinates to effected. g

As will be evident from the machine, the point M moves along towards the right as the cutter axis FQ moves vertically in the direction of increasing a at a definite ratio of speeds determined by the change gearing. From this and the 'geometry of Figures 5 and 6, the equations of the surface generated are:

It will be noted yfrom the above equations that the angles 6 and are additive, i. e., the same effect of adjustment of both could be secured by adjustment of one, or if they were of different signs they would tend to neutralize each other. There is, therefore, no point in setting the cutter axis FQ off parallelismwith the'axis AA", the same effect being securable by turning the blank on the table to change 4S. As a matterof fact, adjustment of b is not -generally desirable (Causing the'vanes generated to depart from radial condition) and hence in the follow-,-Y ing 0 and qb will both be considered zero. Only under special conditions may 6 and `5b be intro-` 'duced to advantage, forexample., to correct curvatures otherwise introduced.

` If fter-0, the equations reduce to:

y tan a sino:

the surface (v1-constant) are not straight lines,r

curvature being introduced by the constant p; Slight values of the constant pmay be used, however, without detrimental deviation from straight line Values of these sections. It is also possible to use quite large Values of p provided the other constants are properly chosen, particularly to obtain for impellers quite large angles between the entrance and exit portions of the fluid passages.

If p is zero, there are obtained the surfaces to which, and to the generation of which, the presy ent application is primarily directed. The equations then become:

radial section, :I: constant, will be a straight line. The straight line, however, will not be radial unless n-K2IC=O. Since 'x varies from inlet to outlet, it is possible to choose n and K2 so that at the inlet 1L-K2 is positive whereas at the outlet, being then greater, ri-Kar is negative with both of these limiting deviations from Zero small. In this fashion, advantageous results may be securedv as pointed out below. If n=0 and K2=0, the equation becomes:

or, changing to cylindrical coordinates, :1::K1 tan b, ther equation of the surface disclosed and discussed in the aforementioned patents. As will be pointed out hereafter, the surfaces generated in accordance'with the present invention may conform very closely either to a single surface given by =Ktan b, or to a plurality of such surfaces litted together, the advantage arising in the latter case being that a single generation serves to provide a complete surface `which would otherwise require separate successive generating operations. Y

The application of the above to the generation of an impeller or turbine Wheel will be next described with reference to Figure 7, in which generation will be assumed in accordance with Equations 3 or 4. In this figure, a indicates the axis of the wheel being generated (=DE of Figure 5) and az is the trace of the yz plane, the angle b being measured positive in a clockwise direction and y being measured horizontally to the right. The entrance portion of an impeller passage is illustrated at d and the exit portion of the same passage at e. The former will be regarded as .located at x=:r:1, and the latter at x=x2, various illustrated elements being located in said planes. It is assumed that the constants K1, K2 and n have been set by adjustment of the machine. Preliminarily we will again consider generation of 'surfaces by the axis of the cutter, passing later to the effect of using a real cutter of particular type.

At f1 and f2 there are indicated the radial lines corresponding to the intersection of the planes x=1 and rr=2 with the surface =K1 tan o, i. e., the surface which would be generated by making K2 and n zero ,in Equations 3 or 4.

Assume' further that n. and K2 are so chosen as above so that n-Kzi is positive and u-Kzz is negative. The element y1 of the general generated surface then, in accordance with what was proved above, lies to the left of f1, parallel to f1 and at a distance therefrom determined by the choicerof constants and the value of x1.

The element g2 of the same surface lies to the right of f2, parallel to ,fz and at a distance determined by the choice of constants and the value of m2.

Obviously for some intermediate value of :C for which u-K2rv=0, the element of the generated surface will be truly radial and coincident with the element f of =K1 tan b and the maximum deviations from radial condition will occur at g1 and gz. It will thus be seen that, for the indicated relation of n and K2, the generated surface will pass from one side of =K1 tan b to the other in the direction of increasing b with the result that between :r1 and x2 it will subtend a greater angle than the latter; in the diagram, for example, the latter subtends about 37, whereas the former subtends about 47.

This is very advantageous in reducing the loading on the blading as will be pointed out later. Surfaces built upon the theoretical surface thus generated have, however, a limitation in that the surface elements are not radial except at some intermediate position. Suppose, for example, arcs yi and k1 define the inner and outer limits of vanes at the entrance plane zv=1 and it is desired to construct a vane on the generated surface. If h1 is a radial line drawn from the intersection of g1 with arc k1, it is obviously desirable that the vane material should completely encompass such radial line, and similar radial lines in all other radial sections. With g1 displaced only to the extent shown from a radial direction, it is obvious that this may be readily accomplished; however, if g1 were too far displaced off center, the vane to satisfy this requirement might have to be too thick at its base. As a matter of fact, the requirement is not absolutely necessary, and if a vane is of suflicient thickness, some undercutting of radial lines through it is permissible. Under such conditions, the element g1 at the entrance edge might well be carried further to the left to secure a still greater angular spread of each vane from inlet to outlet.

At the discharge a similar condition arises, in this case affecting the opposite face of a vane. A radial line h2 is Villustrated indicating the desirable limit of approach to an element gal of a vane adjacent that having elementsY g1 and g2. The radial outlet limits :i2 and k2 impose the limitations, and, as illustrated, if the radial extent of the outlet is small compared to that of the inlet, a correspondingly greater deviation of the element g2 from radial condition is permissible.

As pointed out in my Patent, 1,959,703, the inlet angle of a surface x=K tan b varies precisely within the radius as required for smooth pick up of fluid being handled. It will be apparent without going into mathematical proof that the surfaces here considered, by reason of close approach to rv=K1 tan b will also be, `for practical purposes, completely satisfactory in this regard, particularly so when given radial entrance edges of airfoil characteristics since such edges have fairly largetolerances for entrance angles consistent with maintenance of smooth flow. However, it is also to be noted that while the improved surface is displaced from the surface =K1 tan b having the same value of K1, it-will,

in view of the necessary thickness of a real vane, conform to, and include, for a very considerable axial extent, a surface m=K1 tan b where K1 differs from K1. Thus it follows that real vanes of the improved type may be said to conform to a series of surfaces r=K tan b (in most practical cases to not more than three thereof) which surfaces may be considered as smoothly merging. The advantages of the present surfaces lie primarily in their ease of generation by single cutting operations to give a large angular spacing between inlet and outlet.

The generation of real vanes of the type discussed based on the improved surfaces, results from the movement, during the generating motions indicated, of cutters of improved types along the cutter axis Vwhile it is moving in the direction PR.

The axis of a real cutter will follow a path intermediate adjacent theoretical surfaces. In Figure 7, for example, the cutter axis in moving inwardly follows a path intersecting plane =1 along a line Z1, identical with g1 but spaced therefrom half the angular spacing of adjacent elements g1. Likewise at plane x=z, the cutter axis traces a line Z2 midway between g2 and gzl. The fluid passages therefore lie along the same surfaces given by Equations 3 or 4 with the origin plane :ce displaced by half the angular spacing of the vanes to ce1 (Fig. 7). Thus both the vanes and passages conform to surfaces given by the equation. Y

In order that both surfaces of each passage may be simultaneously generated, the cutter is given a tapered shape which may be conical but which is most desirably substantially hyperboloidal as illustratedin Figure 8 at 64 and diagrammatically at c in Figure 7. Referring rst to the latter, sections (approximately elliptical) of the cutter are shown in the two limiting planes :r1 and x2, to illustrate the mode of generation. As the cutter axis moves in the direction of decreasing e, the cutter is uniformly moved in a retracting direction from the blank in the direction QF (Figs. 5 and 6). Thus a part of large diameter first cuts the outermost entrance portions of the passages, and as retraction takes place, it proceeds to cut more inward parts of the entrance portions of the passages and portions further towards the discharge. Successive positions of the cutter axis are illustrated at q1, q2, and qa. The position qs corresponds to the cutting of the trough of the passage.

The shape of the cutter is such that during such action the space cut, which is the envelope of the successive positions of the cutter, will be such as not to encroach (preferably) on the limiting radial lines h1 and h2. If the cutter has an approximately hyperboloidal shape as illustrated, the result is to generate varies having the desirable taper for securing sufficient strength with production of fillets where the vanes join the central portion of the disc. It will be evident that the shape ofthe cutter is subject to substantial variation and the hyperboloidal form may be approximated by VYthe rotation of circular arcs or even successive straight lines about the cutter axis. The actual shape depends in each instance upon the desired ,vane taper Yand whether or not undercutting of radial lines fromV the vane tips is permissible. The rate of retraction of the cutter is also dependent on these same factors and related to the cutter shape, as will be obvious.

In Figure 9 there are diagrammed the factors desired trou'ghasja partof the surface of revolution of the final cutter position. In such case ment p as well as n and K2. Assuming that the V"cutter has a surface of revolution which, referred to its axis and a movable point V on the cutter axis as origin, is given in cylindrical'coordinates by 122:1 (U) ,where U vis measured along the axis lof the cutter from the forigin V, the cutter surface will be given by the following equation in terms of' coordinates y, z, referred to the same coordinate. system used above in discussing the generated surfaces:

6; v (rc1l co's a-yl sin A2r-n sin a-pV-l- In the above K1, K2, n, p, and u are the same as previous1y'considered.K3 and .K4 are constants takinginto account the movement of the origin .point of the cutter -surface along 'the cutter axis, i.: e., the variationv of the coordinate u of the yorigin point V. This, asevident from the description of the machine, is proportional to the movement of the point M' and also to the change o'f-z.` K3 takes into account this speed ratio while K4 takes into .account the 'starting position for the movement.

In Yaccordance with the. usual theory of envelopes, lthe surface given by v'llq'uatio-n 6 will generate, for variations of parameter a, a surface given by eliminating the parameter a from it vand its partial derivative with respect to a. Taking the partial derivative of 6' with respect lto a there is obtained:

(x1 cos a-yl sin d-n sin a-K3 wherein f is the rst derivative of the :function f with respect to its argument.

The solution of Equations 6 and '7 to eliminate .a is laborious, even though performedgraphically, but the cross-section of a passage maybe thus accurately ascertained b-y plotting the ,values of r:131,- y1, and 21, for a series ofchosen'values of u. Graphical methods of descriptive geometry are also. usable involving laying out the cross-'sections of the cutter in the various planes of constant and constructing thereof. It is to be noted that Equations k6 and 7 give the generated surfaces only where they are yactually envelopes of the cutter surface given by JLU): i. e., the troughs of the passages generated by the nal position of thecutter aresurfaces of revolution of this cutter position.

While 'the generation has been described for the most general case, it will be obvious that it is equally applicable to the special cases Vof having either orboth of K2 or a equal zero. If both are zero, the passages and vanes both conform strictlyy to $=K1 tan b. In allcases hyperboloidal, or substantially. hyperboloidal cutters have been found most advantageous to secure properly shaped varies. Y f

`In some instances, particularly where the ane gie between inlet-and outlet'measured: about the axis is largehit will be found that a single generation by a cutter 4having a pro-per :shape to'y form the desired vane taper will not sufce to give the the enveloping lines recourse. is had to the use ofseveral cuttersused successively and of such 'corresponding shapes that the proper vane shapes result from their .successive operations. ever, theV cutter is retracted as described for a In each instance, how- ;predetermined part of the cutter action. The vane surfaces are then, except for the troughs, made lup 'of 'a ser-ies of smoothly merging envelopes.

In Figures 10 and l1, there is shown a modified form of machine adaptedparticularly for rapid production of rotors, therebeing, however, less a-dj'ustability. This machine comprises a base 'B6 on which there is journalled about a horizontal 'axis Ii! a work `support 68 on which the blank to be cut is mounted as indicated in construction lines in the two gures. Secured to the support E8 'and arranged to rock the same is an arm 12 lprovided with a guideway 'M in which there slides the cross-.head T5 pivoted at i3 to a carriage 80 which is adapted to be moved along a horizontal rackway 325 Vby a screw B2 driven through change speed gearing St from a shaft 83 connect'- ed by bevel gearing et to the main `shaft 92 of the machine.'

The main shaft k92 of the machine drives through change speed gearing .24 a transverse hcrizontal screw S6 which engages a nut il!!! carried by' a carriage T98 whereby ythe carriage l:may .be moved transversely along the tracks 93. This carriage in turn supports the spindle 'head |82 which .is guided'forilongitudinal movement along the 'track IBS so as to provide movement of the cutter l' mounted in the spindle 104 in the direction of its axisjthe cutter being driven from a motor ll carriedby H32. To secure the axial dent that the cutter may be given-predetermined axial and transverse horizontal movements while the cross-head 'i6 is moved horizontally in al direction parallel to the cutter axis by the screw v Comparison of the last described machine-With that of Figure l .will reveal that the two Inachines are identical in operation, the last named machine being essentially the former turned through 9o". It will be obvious, therefore, that the theoretical considerations involved in Figures `5, 6, and 9 fully apply to the machine of Figures I9 andl l1.V It may be noted that, while in this last described ,rnachine, thelength of the arm 'MN of Figure 5 is unchangeable, nevertheless, K1 is variable by changing the gear ratio, for exampie att, it being pointed out above that K1 is the product of the length of MN by the ratio ofthe rate of movement of z to that of point M.

The machines lof the type described may be 11 utilized for the generation of turbine rotors or impellers. Turbine rotors generated thereby may take the general forms described particularly in my Patent 2,283,176.

In the case of impellers further important considerations are involved. So far, in connection with the generating machines, there have been considered only the vane surfaces and the troughs, produced by final cutter positions, without reference to the circumferential and axial boundaries of the impeller. These are of the greatest importance and there will now be considered these matters.

It may be noted, prelminarily, that by the use of these machines, and particularly that of Figure 1, which permits wide adjustment, a complete rotor of substantial axial length containing a number of impeller or turbine wheel stages, may

be cut with no more than axial adjustment of the blank along the support 4 in the direction of the grooves 36. Such a combination rotor may be provided by assembling a group of forgings into a single unit, as indicated, for example, in my application Serial No. 443,957, filed May 21, 1942.

Referring first to the diagrammatic Figures 14 to 17, inclusive, there is indicated therein a rotor |22 adapted to rotate about an axis O'S and having blading of the improved type of which one vane is indicated at |26 and of which an associated adjacent vane is indicated at |26. In these diagrammatic figures, |26 and |26 represent theoretical vane surfaces upon which the physical vanes are constructed as described previously.

The theoretical vane surfaces may be provided in the form of portions of the doubly ruled surfaces described above or, alternatively, there may be some departure from said ruled surfaces, though, as pointed out, the departure, if any, should be relatively slight and, in fact, for ease of construction and machining, even such vane surface as would depart substantially from a single doubly ruled surface of the type indicated may be made up of a plurality of such surfaces. To simplify the discussion, however, there will rst be described a vane4 surface built up from a doubly ruled surface, the actual used portion tion of the ruled surface used in accordance with the specific disclosure of said prior Patent 1,959, I

As pointed out in said Patent 1,959,703, the doubly ruled surface involved conforms to an equation .'L=K tan b, in which :i: is measured along the axis of rotation, while b is measured about said axis. It will be noted that this equation does not involve the coordinate r, i. e., the radial distance from the axis of rotation, consistent with the actual fact that one of the sets of straight lines making up the surface consists of radial lines. The other set of straight lines, as pointed out in said patent, are arranged in skew relationship to the axis of rotation in such fashion that each, if rotated about the axis, would trace out a hyperboloid of revolution.

Due to the absence of r from the equation, it will be evident that any such surface may be completely defined (as a mathematical surface of infinite radial extent) by a single curve consisting of the angle b plotted against axial distance :12, as indicated in Figure 17, the ordinates of which are values of b and the abscissas of which are values of x. Such a curve is plotted at EAD, the origin of measurement of both b and :n being at the point E. It will be obvious from the equation that this curve is a tangent curve having a point of inflection at the origin E and, if produced, being asymptotic to 17:90 at innity.

From the standpoint of the present design, the curve EAD represents approximately one extreme design providing, as Will be pointed out later, substantially a minimum angular difference between the inlet and outlet edges of Vthe theoretical vane surface, and a straight line element DD of the surface defined by the curve EAD' in Figure 17 is chosen as the innermost element of the vane surface.

This straight line B'D is shown as such in Figure 14. In the axial projection vof that figure, it will appear as a straight line starting at a point B at the entrance edge of the vane which, in that gure, is indicated as the vertical line B'A'. This line, if continued, would have its closest approach to the axis OP at the point E', and as illustrative of the proper layout of this line, the angle BOE is shown as approximately 15. In the circumferential projection of Figure 16, the straight line E'BD will appear as one branch of a hyperbola, the closest approach to the axis of which will occur at E in advance of the entrance edge of the vane, a which point the hyperbola'is parallel with the axis O'P.

If further skew straight line elements of the surface defined by the curve EAD' in Figure 17 are plotted, they would appear as the straight lines G of Figure 14 projecting into the hyperbolas G of Figure 16. In accordance with the prior designs set forth in said patent, flow of the air was caused to take place approximately along one of such straight lines G' constituting approximately the center line of a vane between its inner and outer boundary edges. For example, with an entrance edge AB' as indicated in Figure 1 6, the vane `would be designed to extend approximately equal distances on opposite sides of the inner line G indicated in Figures 14 and 16. In accordance with the present invention, however, the flow path except along the innermost portion of the vane Where it coincides fairly closely with the straight line element BD (subject to the trough formation of Figure 7) departs quite substantially from the other skew straight line elements of the surface, and the vane is chosen from that part of the surface =K tan b indicated at AB'DC, Where AB is the inlet edge, C'D' is the outlet edge and B'D' and AC' are, respectively, the inner and outer boundaries of the vane. By reason of this selection of the vane surface, there is obtained for a given axial and radial extent of the vane a very substantial angular difference between the inlet edge AB' and the outlet edge C'D'. As will be evident from Figure 17, in the example illustrated the angular distance 'between B (or A) and D', is about 56.6, and the angular distance between the entrance edge AB and the center I of the outlet edge CD is about It will be evident that-to obtain such an angular difference between the entrance and exit portions of the vane, if the vane was caused to follow, for example, the inner straight line clement G', the diameter of the irn'peller would have to be very much greater.

As a result of the improved design, the specic loading of the vanes is kept down to such extent that, during operation, the flow is gradually deviated from its entrance direction without production of burbling, and hence smooth flow at very high speeds of operation may be secured.

A'13 As-a result of the fact that the improved vane fl26jis` a portion lof the vtheoretical doubly ruledy surface, it consists throughout of radial straight line elements 'F' giving a maximum strength against vcentrifugal stresses arising at very high speeds of rotation.

The anglesalong the inlet edge vary in proper fashion with the radius, as described in said patent in such fashion thatl if n is the inlet angle at a radius r,

not so small as to create machining diflculties orygive'rise to an -entrance portion of each passage which contributes little to the acceleration Yof the rfluid.

If sections are taken across the space between Vadjacent vanes such as |26 and V126' perpenvvdicular to the flow through such space, it will be Yevident thatV at the inlet thesection will have a trapezoidal shape due to the radial divergence from eachother of the inlet portions of the adjacent vanes, Ywhile at the' outlet'the section will also be trapezoidal but with a substantial change "of proportions, the trapezoid here being substantially reduced in an outward direction while being of substantially greater extent circumferentially, approaching more nearly a parallelogram. If a line be drawn through the centers of gravity of these sections, such line will appear about as indicated at HI', and it will be ap- 'parent from the igures that this line, representing what might be called a mean path 'of flow, involves only gradual curvature, having at no `point thereof any small radius of curvature. As

a result of such ow patch, at no point thereof is there any great curvature of the flow, meaning essentially that the loading of the passage causing acceleration of the gas is relatively uniform throughout to the end that all parts of the passage contribute to the acceleration without there being set up such forces as would result in burbling. At the point H the entranceoccurs very nearly axially, as indicated by the 'Vector K', while at the exit point I (.whichis approximately, in the projection of Figure 5, both the center of the exit edge CD' 0f each vane and the center of gravity of the cross-section of 'the flow) the ow takes place in the direction indicated by the arrow J in Figures 14 and 16.

As indicated above, the design just described approaches one extreme of desirable design for high speed operation, and it is, in fact, desirabie to secure an even greater change of the angle b between the inlet and outlet edges. For example, for the same capacity of the impeller and for the same speed of rotation, it would be desirable to secure a difference of angle between the entrance and exit of 90 or more, and fcr'theis pur-pose the surface, consisting of straightline radial elements, might be as indicated at A'N" (or BN'l iny Figure 17.. Such a surface, it will be noted.

14 the circumferential projection, a surface formed in this fashion would appear identically the same as the surface A'BDC described previously, whereas in the axial projection of Figure 14 the surface would appear as indicated at ABNQ, i. e., extended considerably more than the surface A'BDC about the axis of rotation Within, however, the Same radial and axial confines. For the same capacity and speed of rotation, it is evident that such a lsurface would be tangent to the surface ABDC 4along the entrance edge AB, and as a result of such tangency, the same variation of inlet angle with radius would be secured as described previously, so .that shockless entrance along the entire leading edge `would take place.

A surface of such greater angular extent can be satisfactorily provided'so long as it contains radial straight line elements, even though it does not contain throughout its extent, and, in fact, Acannot contain, a single set of skew straight lines,

and such a surface may be cast or machined'by successive cuts of a milling cutter as above described. or by the use of a radially arranged milling cutter, as will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Such an angularly extended surface, however, may be desirably made'up of a series of surfaces =K tan b having different constants ,K and different origins for the measurement of 'bland fr, and, for convenience of construction,

the rotor may be made in a plurality of parts secured together :and each provided with partial vane surfaces conforming to the different variants of the equation. Forexample, as indicated in Figure 17, the entire surface A'N may be made up of the parts A'L, LM' and MN, each of which may conform to the formula. AL, for example, may be made in the form of such a surface tangent to AD' at A' carried to the point L. (For the surface A'L,fof course, the origin is no longer at E', and K will have a differ- -ent value from that defining AD.) If such a surface was continued further, however, it would tend to turn in an axial direction, as viewed in Figure 1'?, as indicated by the continuation marked Z. It therefore becomes necessary at L to provide a different surface L'M', which also will have a different K and a different origin. As before, this surface may not reach the location N by reason of axial deviation, as indicated at m', so .that Va third surface may be provided at M extending through N'. It will be evident from the nature of the equation for these doubly ruled surfaces that tangency may be secured throughout the entire radial extent o-f the surfaces at L and M so that a completely smooth composite Asurface results. While the flow path, as viewed in an axial projection such as Figure 14, will, in the case of such a surface, appear more curved than the path -I'I previously described, it will be evident that, as a matterof fact, the curvature would give a change of 90 between the entrance edge and the extreme limit 'of the exit edge'. In l it imparts to the gas will be evenless, so that the* specic loading of the vanes will be even further reduced. in other words, it effects the same `resulting acceleration of the gas, but the Work done in accomplishing this is distribu" 'f over a much more extended vane surface. While there is an actual increase in the wetted vsurfaces of such vanes, the fact that an even more gradual acceleration takes place results in less tendency to produce any burleling condition resulting from breaking of the flow away from passage walls and the disadvantage of slightlj,1 increased friction los-ses is-paid for by a substantial net increase 4in efficiency.

The various relative dimensions involved in accordance with the invention are not critical within substantial ranges. For example, 'the change of the angle b from the inlet edge of a vane to the center of the outlet edge may vary from a lower limit of about 35 through upwards of 100. Desirably, however, this angle should be at least 45 and most desirably lies within a range of about 55 to 85. The most desirable portions of the ranges indicated are dictated by the speeds of operation, i. e., smaller angular changes are consistent with lower speeds, while for higher speeds the angles should be within the upper portions of the ranges.

In the circumferential projection of Figure 5, the angle made by the projection of the discharge vector J with the axis (i. e., the angle JIS) should lie within about the range 35 to 60. The backward angle made by this vector with respect to the tangent to the circumferential direction at I measured within a plane containing both the tangent and the vector J' should be between about 40 and 85.

The inlet angle at the outermost portion of the inlet edge, i. e., the angle n, should lie between the limits of about 20 and 45, this angle inwardly thereof varying according to the expression above set forth.

The blade height at the inlet edge, i. e., AB, should be between about 0.5 and 0.7 of A'O','the eye radius.

The axial length of the mean flow path, i. e., OR should be between about 0.7 and 1.2 of the eye radius AO.

The radius IR (of the exit edge) should be between about 1.0 and 1.5 of AO, the eye radius, and preferably between about 1.2 and 1.4 of AO.

It Will be noted that the outlet edge CD' is not illustrated as perpendicular to the mean flow path, and generally speaking its circumferential projection will make a small angle with respect to the axis of rotation about as illustrated, generally about 8 to 10. It is found that such an angle is desirable in order that the impeller will impart the same amount of energy to each particle of air irrespective of its flow path within the radial limits of the passage. This results in the same pressure at all points of the discharge. If pressure differences are permitted to occur disturbances are set up with energy losses. If a conical surface is constructed about the axis of rotation perpendicular to the mean flow path, in its circumferential projection, at I', which conical surface is indicated at U'T in Figure 16, the conical annulus UV' may be considered as the virtual area through which the discharge takes place. This conical annulus is related to the plane annulus about the center of rotation and bounded by circle through A and B', respectively, which annulus may be called the entrance annulus, in such fashion that the ratio of the area of the conical annulus to the area of this entrance annulus is about 0.6 to 0.9, which is a result of the fact that the ratio of the meridian velocities normal to these annuli should be approximately unity. The ratio of inlet volume flow to the entrance annulus should be equal to the ratio of the discharge volume ow to the area of the conical discharge annulus, and the design as just indicated gives this result.

The outer boundary A'C and the inner boundary BD of each of the vanes may `be rather arbitrarily chosen within limits. It is not required, as was assumed in the laying out of the passages perpendicular to this ow path have their centers of gravity lying approximately along the path HI. The areas of the cross-sections of the impeller passages perpendicular to this iiow path gradually increase from the inlet to the outlet to secure a small equivalent cone angle (i, e., double the angle between the cone axis and a straight line element), of the order, for example, of 2 to 6 (and preferably about 4) defining the equivalent cone (as is conventional in impeller design practice) as one of which a frustum, having the discharge area as its base and the inlet area as its top, has as its height the developed length of the flow path between these areas. In the present case, this height is very long for a given impeller diameter, so that a small proper cone angle results in a large, desirable area ratio. As is well known from aerodynamics, however, so long as flow paths do not have sharp deviations or divergences when viewed in the light of now velocities, it will be evident that substantial latitude vin the design of the impeller passages is permissible even with very high flow velocities and rotational speeds consistent with the avoidance of burbling. The equivalent cone angle may, in fact, be slightly negative.

The number of vanes about the circumference of the impeller is subject to substantial variation, though desirably this number should lie between 17 and 27, 21 to 23 vanes being the optimum number. The considerations determining the proper number of vanes are those of proper guidance of the flow balanced against the introduction of too great a total wall `area giving rise to excessive friction. If at least 17 vanes are used, good guidance of the flow results, i. e., there is no such great spacing between the vanes as will permit any portions of the flow to depart substantially from parallelism in a, three-dimensional sense, with the vanes. With increase of the number of vanes up to 2l to 23, still better guidance results and above this number the guidance is not materially improved, so that if the number of vanes rises above about 25, friction losses begin to enter into the picture to lower the efliciency.

The theoretical surfaces of the type described may be considered as those upon which actual vanes are constructed, i. e., such surfaces are desirably the central surfaces of symmetry of the vanes. As a consequency, the passages between the vanes may also be said to have substantially such surfaces as their boundaries, or these passages may be regarded as built up of imaginary laminae formed by such surfaces and extending parallel to the flow through the passages. For mechanical strength, the actual vanes are desirably strictly radial, though some slight departure therefrom may be tolerated if necessitated by special design'requirements as indicated above in the discussion of Figure 7. Generally speaking, the thickness of each vane along its entire outer contour should be no more than one-half the thickness at its base where it joins the impeller hub, the varies desirably tapering, as indicated most clearly in Figure 12. The vanes may be formed by milling out a solid blanls of 'metahas indicated above, in which case.v it is vdesirable to provide large fillets where the vane joins the hub proper. I

The embodiment of the invention in an actual impeller will be clearirom a consideration of Figures 12 and 13. Either for reasons of Vmachining described above, i. e, to form a quite extended vane surface by milling separate doubly ruled surfaces, or for the damping of vibration as described in my application Serial No. 407,408. led August 19, 1941, the impeller may bemade in a plurality of sections. In the instance illustrated. in Figures 12 and 13, the impeller is made up of two` sections |28 and |30, respectively, provided with aligned holes |32 in enlarged portions of whichare located bushings |34 arranged to valign Y accurately the sections withrespect to each other. The holes accommodate alloy expansion rods controlling theV sliding of the impeller on its shaft to maintain constant the clearances between the impeller and its housing underall temperature conditions. .The two impeller halves are heldV together by the pressure differences across the impellergsection |35 being located by means of the heads of the expansible rods. As illustrated in Figure 13, there. is a slight undercut |36 of one hub section and the inner portions of its vanos where they abut the other hub section, so that when the two sections are pressed together, the vane sections engage each other tightly at outermost portions. This serves to eifect damping of vibrations which may be set up during operation. In order further to align the impeller sections, and associate them' With other impellers in a. multiple stage arrangement, and to provide for bearing support, the bore. |24 in the hub is provided with internal teeth |38 adapted to bel engaged with corresponding spline teeth on a tubum lar shaft, not shown. The taper of the vanes will be apparent from considering the base portions |4 thereof and the outermost portions It. The entrance edges IM are desirably rounded to provide airfoil action. If such airfoil edges are provided, there is very little change inefficiency from the standpoint of losses at the intake edges of the vanes over a moderate variation in the ratio of the volume of gas handled by theimpeller to the speed of rotation despite the fact that this ratio may deviate to such an extent that the entrance angles along the inlet edges are no longer strictly proper to secure shockless entrance. This is due to the fact that an airioil edge will provide smooth ow for substantial Changes-of angle. Thus an impeller so constructed is adapted for emcient operation for variations of the ratioY of the volume handled to speed between the limits of pulsation and maximum capacity. The exit edges of the vanos are also dosirably tapered down to form good trailing airfoil edges.

Conditions in this region, however, are not so important inasmuch as the impeller outlet velocities relative to the vanes are substantially smaller than the impeller entrance velocities relative to the inlet edges of the vanes.

Impellers designed in accordance with theforegoing are enclosed in suitable conventional housings |46 and discharge into suitable diftusers |48 designed properly to receive' the gas at its high speed of floW.

It is to be noted that the dimensional matters last described are applicable to the construction of all impellers the vane surfaces of which are generated. by the mechanisms heretofore deconstructed may be, despite their precise formulae indicated above, regarded as made up of a series of simple surfaces in accordance with Figure 17, the other surfaces being close approximations to a series of such surfaces.

The various relative dimensional matters are tied up with performance to secure Various desirable features. e

First is the matter of eilciency which may be dened as the work required theoretically for adiabatic compression divided by the actual Work required to accomplish it. This involves the avoidance of inlet shock, the avoidance of breakage of the flow from the walls which would be attended with the production of turbulence and eddies, the avoidance of crowding of ow in a passageftoward some wall thereof, and the use of a proper number of Vanes to secure effective guidanceof flow.- n y v A second criterion is the securing of the highest possible efficiencies for high pressure ratios corresponding to highV tip speeds. The third criterion is' `that of, securing a useful broad operating range of lair flow handled by the impeller at constant speed,

A fourth criterion is the securing of a maximum capacity for lthe size off-the Wheel, a small size meaning a minimum wetted surface and, therefore, less friction loss and also minimum bulk and weight, the .latter being particularly important in aircraft applications.

A fifth criterion involves proper variation of capacity with the speed.

These criteria are satisfied by the constructions heretofore described. `Avoidance of inlet shock is provided by a, 'proper variation of the inlet angle and proper values to suit the speed and volume handled. Breakage of flow from the walls of the impeller vanes is prevented by a large change of the angle b from inlet to outlet and a` large ratio of OR' to AO, Axial crowding at the outlet is prevented by a large ratio of OR' to AO and a small ratio of IR to AO. Increase of the number of vanos lessons the divergence angle and therefore provides smooth flow. The proper angle of the outlet CD' also contributes to the efliciency. High efliciency results from a large change of the angle b between inlet and outlet, a large ratio of OR' to AO and a small crosssection at the outlet corresponding to a cone angle which may be smallv or which may even be negative. A small true discharge angle increases the operating range. Small size involves a small ratio of IR to AO". The variation of capacity with speed is controlled by the inlet angle, and a large inlet angle is desirable for high speeds.

`l'lV'hat I claim is:

1. A rotor having passages therein for elastic fluid, each passage conforming substantially to a surface having the parametric equations:

.r L.. yvan (MM) sin (MFM) and r 1 Y 2. rotor having passages therein for elastic the securing `oi'- a fluid, each passage conforming substantially to a surface having the parametric equations:

and

and

l KIQ-Darm) 4. A rotor having passages therein for elastic vfluid, each passage conforming substantially to a surface having the parametric equations:

tana

1 ZLKl(tan raz-K2) 5. An impeller having passages therein fol` elastic fluid, each passage conforming substantially to a surface having the parametric equations:

and

L ytan a n and n-Kzsc being positive at the inlet and nf-Kar being negative at the outlet of said passages.

6. An impeller having passages therein for elastic fluid, each passage conforming substantially to a surface having the parametric equations:

7. An impeller having passages therein for elastic fluid, each passage conforming substantially to a, surface having the parametric equations:

tan a and n-Kzx being positive at the inlet and n-Kzx being negative at the outlet of said passages, said passages being bounded by tapering vanes each of which encompasses substantially al1 radial lines extending inwardly from points thereof.

8. A rotor having passages therein for elastic fluid, each passage conforming substantially to a surface having the parametric equations:

said passages being bounded by tapering vanes each of which encompasses substantially all 20 radial lines extending inwardly from points thereof.

9. An impeller for a centrifugal compressor having vanes dening passages for elastic uid and extending in skew relationship to the axis of rotation, each of said vanes extending substantially along radial lines, and having its exit portion spaced from its inlet portion by an angle about the axis of rotation substantially within the range of 35 to 100, each passage guiding the now across the skew straight lines of at least one surface having the equation =K tan b and approximating a radial median surface through the passage, :r in said equation being measured along, and b about, the axis of rotation.

10. An impeller for a centrifugal compressor having vanes defining passages for elastic fluid and extending in skew relationship to the axis of rotation, each of said -vanes extending substantially along radial lines, having its inlet edge of a radial extent measuring substantially between 0.5 and 0.7times the maximum radius of the inlet edge, having a mean axial extent measuring substantially between 0.7 and 1.2 times the maximum radius of the inlet edge, and having the mean radius of its outlet edge measuring substantially between 1.0 and 1.5 times the maximum radius of the inlet edge, each passage guiding the flow across the skew straight lines of at least one surface having the equation 1v=K tan b and approximating a radial median surface through the passage, :1: in said equation being measured along, and b about, the axis of rotation.

11. An impeller for a centrifugal compressor having vanes defining passages for elastic fluid and extending in skew relationship to the axis of rotation, each of said vanes extending substantially along radial lines, having its exit portion spaced from its inlet portion by an angle about the axis of rotation substantally Within the range of 35 to 100, having the tangent of the inlet angle along its inlet edge varying substantially in inverse proportion to the radial distance from the axis of rotation, having the value of the inlet angle at the outermost portion of the inlet edge substantally in the range 20 to 45, having its inlet edge of a radial extent measuring substantially between 0.5 and 0.7 times the maximum radius of the inlet edge, having a mean axial extent measuring substantially between 0.7 and 1.2 times the maximum radius of the inlet edge, and having the mean radius of its outlet edge measuring substantially between 1.0 and 1.5 times the maximum radius of the inlet edge, said vanes numbering 17 to 27, each passage guiding the flow across the skew straight lines of at least one surface having the equation x=K tan b and approximating a radial median surface through the passage, :z: in said equation being measured along, and b about, the axis of rotation.

12. An impeller for a centrifugal compressor having vanes defining passages for elastic fluid and extending in skew relationship to the axis of rotation, each of said vanes extending substantially along radial lines, having its exit portion spaced from its inlet portion by an angle about the axis of rotation substantially within the range of 35'to 100, and having the tangent of the inlet angle along its'inlef, edge varying substantally in inverse proportion to the radial distance from the axis of rotation, each passage guiding the ow across the skew straight lines of at least one surface having the equation =K tan b and approximating a radial median suranimes 21 face through the passage, a: in said equation being measured along, and b about, the axis of rotation.

.13. An .impeller for a centrifugal compressor having vanes defining passages for elastic fluid and extending in skew relationship to the axis of rotation, each of said vanes extending substantially along radial lines, having its exit portion spaced from its inlet portion by an angie about the axis of rotation substantially within the range of 35 to 100, having the tangent of the inlet angle along its inlet edge varying substantially in inverse proportion to the radial distance from the axis of rotation, and having the value of the inlet angle at the outermost portion of the inlet edge substantially in the range 20 to 45, each passage guiding the flow across the skew straight lines of at least one surface having the equation xzK tan b and approximating a radial median surface through the passage, x in said equation being measured along, and o about, the axis of rotation.

14. An impeller for a centrifugal compressor having vanes defining passages for elastic uid and extending in skew relationship to the axis of rotation, each' of said vanes extending substantally along radial lines, .having its exit portion spaced from its inlet portion 'by an angle about the axis of rotation substantially within the range of 35 to 100, and having its inlet edge of a radial extent measuring substantially between 0.5 and 0.7 times the maximum radius of theinlet edge, each passage guiding the flow across the skew straight lines of at least one surface having the equation =K tan b and approximating a radial median surface through the passage, :c in said equation being measured along, and b about, the axis of rotation.

15. An impeller for a centrifugal compressor having vanes defining passages for elastic iiuid and extending in skew relationship to the axis of rotation, each of said vanes extending substantially along radial lines,y having its exit portion spaced from its inlet portion by an angle about the axis of rotation substantially within the range of 35 to 100, having its inletedge of a radial extent measuring substantially between 0.5 and 0.7 times the maximum radius of the inlet edge, and having the mean radius of its edge measuring substantially between 1.0 and 1.5 times the maximum radius of the inlet edge, each passage guiding the ow across the skew straight lines of at least one surface having the equation =K tan b and approximating a radial median surface through the passage, :c in said equation being measured along, and b about, the axis of rotation Y 16. An impeller for a centrifugal compressor having vanes defining passages for elastic fluid and extending in skew relationship to the axis of rotation, each of said vanes extending substantially along radial lines, having its exit portion spaced from its inlet portion by an angle about the axis of rotation substantially within the range of 35 to 100, and said vanes numbering 17 to 27, each passage guiding the ow across the skew straight lines of at least one surface having the equation .'L=K tan bv and approximating a radial median surface through the passage, .r in said equation being measured along, and 'b` about, the axis for rotation.

17. An impeller for a centrifugal compressor having vanes definingpassages for elastic fluid and extending in skew relationship to the axis of rotation, each of said vanes extending substantially alongl radi-al lines, having its inlet edge of a radial extent measuring substantially between 0.5 and 0.7 times the maximum radius of the inlet edge, 'having a mean axial extent measuring substantially between 0.7 and 1.2 times the maximum radius of the inlet edge, having the mean radius of its outlet edge measuring substantially between 1.0 and 1.5 times the maximum radius of the inlet edge, and said vanes numbering 17 to 27, each passage guiding the fiow across the skew straight lines of at least one surfacey having the equation :1::K tan b and approximating a radial median surface through the passage, :1: in said equation being measured along, and b about, the axis o-f rotation.

1B; An impeller for a centrifugal compressor having vanes defining passages for elastic fluid and extending in skew relationship to the axis of rotation, each of said venes extending substantially along radial lines, having its inlet edge of a radial extent measuring substantially between 0.5 and 0.7 times the maximum radius of the inlet edge, having a mean axial extent measuring substantially between 0.7 and 1.2 times the maximum radius of the inlet edge, having the mean radius of its outlet edge measuring substantially between 1.0 and 1.5 times the maximum radius of the inlet edge, and the passages defined by said vanes having gradually increasing cross-sections normal to the pathsv of fiow therethrough, each passage guiding the flow across the skew straight lines of at least one surface having the equation :c=.K tan b and approximating a radial median surface through the passage, m in said equation being measured along, and b about, the axis of rotation.

19. An impeller for a centrifugal compressor having vanes defining passages for elastic fluid and extending in skew relationship to the axis of rotation, each of said vanes extending substantially along radial lines, having its inlet edge of a radial extent measuring substantially between 0.5 and 0.7 times the maximum radius of the inlet edge, having amean axial extent measuring substantially between 0.7 and 1.2 times the maxi.- mum radius of the inlet edge, havin-g the mean radius of its outlet edge measuring substantially between 1.0 and 1.5 times the maximum radius of the inlet edge, and the annular area through which discharge takes place from said passages beingsubstantially 0.6 to 0.9 times the annular area through which flow enters said passages, each passage guiding the flow acrossthe skew straight lines of at least one surface having the equation :rzK tan b and approximating a radial median surface through the passage, in said equation being measured along, and b about, the axis of rotation.

20. An impeller for a centrifugal compressor having vanes defining passages for elastic fluid and extending in skew relationship to the axis of rotation, each of said vanes extending substantially along radial lines, having its inlet edge of a radial extent measuring substantially between 0.5 and 0.7 times the maximum radius of the inlet edge, having a mean axial extent measuring substantially between 0.7 and 1.2 times the maximum radius of the inlet edge, and having the vnean radius of its outlet edge measuring substantially between 1.0 and 1.5 times the maximum radius of the inlet edge, the angle between the circumferential .projection of the direction of discharge from said passages and the axis of rotation being substantially 35 to 60, each passage guiding the fiow across the skew straight lines of at 23 least one surface having the equation az=K tan b and approximating a radial median surface through the passage, :r in said equation being measured along, and b about, the axis of rotation.

21. An impeller for a centrifugal compressor having vanes dening passages for elastic iluid and extending in skew relationship to the axis of rotation, each of said vanes extending substantially along radial lines, having its exit portion spaced from its inlet lportion by an angle about the axis of rotation substantially within the range of 35 to 100, the passages defined by said vanes having .gradually increasing crosssections normal to the paths of flow there through, each passage guiding the iiow across the skew strai-ght lines of at least one surface having the equation m=K tan b and approximating a radial median surface through the passage, :c in said equation being measured along, and b about, the axis of rotation.

22. An impeller for a centrifugal compressor having vanes dening passages for elastic fluid and extending in skew relationship to the axis of rotation, each of said vanes extending substantially along radial lines, having its exit yportion spaced from its inlet portion by an angle about the axis of rotation substantially within the range of 35 to 100, the annular area through which discharge takes place from said passages being substantially 0.6 to 0.9 times the annular area through which iiow enters said passages, each passage guiding the flow across the skew straight lines of at least one surface having the equation zzz=K tan b and approximating a radial median surface through the passage, in said equation being measured along, and b about, the axis of rotation.

23. An impeller for a centrifugal compressor having vanes defining passages for elastic iiuid and extending in skew relationship'to the axis of rotation, each of said vanes extending substantially along radial lines, having its exit portion spaced from its inlet portion by an angle about the axis of rotation substantially within the range of 35 to 100, the angle between the circumferential projection of the direction of discharge from said passages and the axis of rotation being substantially 35 to 60, each passage guiding the ow across the skew straight lines of at least one surface having the equation .1::K tan b and approximating a, radial median surface through the passage, .r in said equation being measured along, and b about, the axis of rotation.

24. An impeller for a centrifugal compressor having vanes defining passages for elastic iluid and extending in skew relationship to the axis 24 of rotation, each of said vanes extending sub-l stantially along radial lines, having its exit portion spaced from its inlet portion by an angle about the axis of rotation substantially within the range of 35 to 100, having an airfoil inlet edge, and tapering outwardly so that its outermost portions are no thicker than one-half the thickness of its radially correspondingbase portions, each passage guiding the fiow across the skew straight lines of at least one surface having the equation :czK tan b and approximating a radial median surface through the passage, a: in said equation being measured along, and b about, the axis of rotation.

25. An impeller for a centrifugal compressor having vanes defining passages for elastic iluid and extending in skew relationship to the axis of rotation, each of said vanes extending substantially along radial lines, having its exit portion spaced from its inlet portion by an angle about the axis of rotation substantially within the range of 35 to 100, having the tangent of the inlet angle along its inlet edge varying substantially in inverse porportion to the radial distance from the axis of rotation, having the Value of the inlet angie at the outermost portion of the inlet edge substantially in the range 20 to 45, having an airfoil inlet edge, and tapering outwardly so that the outermost portions are no thicker than one-half the thickness of its radially corresponding base portions, each passage guiding the flow across the skew straight lines of at least one surface having the equation 5c=K tan b and approximating a, radial median surface through the passage, :I: in said equation being measured along, and b about, the axis of rotation.

26. An impeller for a centrifugal compressor having vanes defining passages for elastic fluid and extending in skew relationship to the axis of rotation, each of said vanes extending substantially along radial lines, having the mean radius of its outlet edge measuring substantially between 1.0 and 1.5 times the maximum radius of o the inlet edge, the passage defined by said vanes having gradually increasing cross-sections normal to the paths of flow therethrough, and the annular area through which discharge takes place from said passages being substantially 0.6 t0 0.9 times the annular area through which flow enters said passages, each passage guiding the flow across the skew straight lines of at least one surface having the equation =K tan b and approximating a radial median surface through the passage, a: in said equation being measured along, and b about, the axis of rotation.

RUDOLPH BIRMANN. 

